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​Bukasa, Kampala, Uganda: Last week, TivaWater distributed 220 filters to families in Bukasa, a community located outside of Kampala. About 3,000 families live in Bukasaand 80% of them are of Rwandanese origin. Most are from the Hutu Tribe, a group that originally escaped the Rwandan war by going to the Congo in 1994 and then reunited in various refugee camps in Uganda. Those that stayed have rebuilt their lives in Bukasa.

​Some still reside in the refugee camps, which has been “an enriching and tough experience” as expressed by one of the residents. There is still a language barrier (cannot speak the language of Uganda: Lugandan), so many residents do odd jobs, however, others have been able to start their own small businesses.

​About 80% of the residents get their water from the tap, but it is not safe to drink and must be boiled. The rest collect their water from an open well. It is expensive to boil water and oftentimes families cannot afford to buy the coal necessary to boil every time. This leaves many of them, especially children, sick with various waterborne illnesses. The community of Bukasa was incredibly grateful for the TivaWater filters. We did not have enough filters for every family this time around, but they all pleaded we bring more. We will continue to support this community as we raise support.

​Water source: Simu river For three years, some residents of Kimuli have enjoyed drinking water from TivaWater filters. They express their love for how good their water tastes now. The village health center reports families with TivaWater filters in their homes are much healthier than families without one.​

Here are two stories of families impacted by TivaWater filters:

Michael and Peter

"This water is very sweet!" Michael and his son Peter (right) use their TivaWater filter for everything: cooking, cleaning, washing, and drinking. Before they had their filter, they drank water straight from the river, which made them very sick and cause them to miss work and school. Now, they are much healthier and are able to lead better, more productive lives. Peter just finished school and aspires to earn his college degree. He plays soccer and during our visit was very curious to learn how the filter actually purifies the water. ​

Above: Micheal (left) and Peter speak with Jake, our International Business Manager, about the effectiveness of their filter. Below: We partner with ChildFund in Uganda to provide filters to families. Michael and Peter received their filter through ChildFund. As you can see, it is decorated- the family takes great pride in their filter.

Jaqulyn

Jacqulyn noticed a big difference in her family's health once they started using their TivaWater filter and now they use it for everything. They also love how the water tastes! Jacqulyn shared that she has only ever washed her baby in TivaWater water. ​ She says her whole family is healthy now because of TivaWater.

Lives are being saved and changed because of TivaWater filters. Your contributions matter. Please consider making a gift to help a family in need: www.tivwater.com/give